So, Dale Winton's leaving after 10 years and they're bringing in Tony Blackburn.

A step in the right direction? Will it mean more 'older' years than Dale plays, and thus seem even more out-of-step with everything else on a Saturday?

Here's the Media Guardian report:

Quote:

Tony Blackburn is to take over from Dale Winton on BBC Radio 2's long-running Pick of the Pops, 43 years after he presented the first programme on BBC Radio 1.

Blackburn, who presents the weekend breakfast show on Smooth Radio, will join the Saturday afternoon retrospective chart rundown show on 6 November.

The DJ's career enjoyed a revival after he won ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here reality show in 2002.

Pick of the Pops was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1955 before switching to Radio 1 and then Radio 2. Previously fronted by Alan Freeman, Winton has presented the show since 2000.

Blackburn, who was the first DJ heard on Radio 1 when it began broadcasting in 1967, described Pick of the Pops as "one of radio's most iconic and famous shows".

Radio 2 head of programmes, Lewis Carnie, said: "I'm delighted to welcome Tony Blackburn to Radio 2 on a permanent basis. He is one of this country's legendary broadcasters and brings a wealth of knowledge of popular music spanning the years.

"I'd like to thank Dale for being such a tremendous host of Pick Of The Pops for the last decade, and I look forward to continuing our relationship with him on future Radio 2 projects."

Blackburn also presents a Sunday soul and Motown show on BBC London 94.9. Smooth Radio is owned by GMG Radio, part of Guardian Media Group, which also publishes MediaGuardian.co.uk.

A step in the right direction? Will it mean more 'older' years than Dale plays, and thus seem even more out-of-step with everything else on a Saturday?

it hasn't been that varied for a while I would agree but I don't think that Dale chose the years that'll be down to the producers.

I can't help thinking it's a step backwards, I don't like TB think he's a smarmy so and so (insert something bad)_________________You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.

Jimmy Saville never did POTPs. It was always Fluff Freeman - on a Sunday evening when we were rushing our homework in readiness for school the next day! Saville's show was "Saville's Travels" and also the talk show for which the theme music was the "Yackety Yak" song.

I seem to recall a certain person advocating this change on the BBC Messageboard does that ring a bell with any of you?
I will be really sorry to see Dale go as I think with his style he got as close as it is possible to get to the original show hosted for years by the great Fluff
I do like Tony and I think he may be the best person to take over but I fear it will not be the same
As has been pointed out the years choosen will be within the control of the producer but arguing against myself I did note that the same week in May 1969 was choosen this year as last year and I know Dale says it's his favourite year so I think he might just have had some input into that
He even played virtually the same tracks
I really hope we see him back on Radio 2 before too long

There was a time - in the late 60s (at the time when TB was doing the Radio One breakfast show) that it was deeply unfashionbale to like Blackburn - especially among those like me who worshipped the ground that John Peel and Bob Harris walked on - but over the years I've developed a respect for "our Tone".

I actually met him once at a radio do and he was the nicest bloke to chat to. He loves radio, loves his music (especially Soul) and seems to enjoy an uncomplicated life. He knows his way around a radio studio desk, as well, and is a very good technician in that respect (he's had enough practice, of course).

I do like Dale's style of presentation on POTP, but I'm happy with his replacement. Just think - it could be a whole lot worse. Mr. Shennan has proved that he's more than capable of destroying the long-standing and much-loved format.

I remember Tony telling us on the Pirate Radio Essex show, how he volunteered to climb up that tall radio mast to fix a problem... not many would have attempted it I'm sure._________________Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! 13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

Jimmy Saville never did POTPs. It was always Fluff Freeman - on a Sunday evening when we were rushing our homework in readiness for school the next day! Saville's show was "Saville's Travels" and also the talk show for which the theme music was the "Yackety Yak" song.

Colin are you 100% as I recall very early eighties listening to the Dur dur dur dur music along with a run down of certain years charts with him handing out pretend points ?_________________You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.

Jimmy Saville never did POTPs. It was always Fluff Freeman - on a Sunday evening when we were rushing our homework in readiness for school the next day! Saville's show was "Saville's Travels" and also the talk show for which the theme music was the "Yackety Yak" song.

Colin are you 100% as I recall very early eighties listening to the Dur dur dur dur music along with a run down of certain years charts with him handing out pretend points ?

To my knowledge he never did the actual POTP - unless he was standing in for Fluff - but the original POTP definitely went out on Sunday evenings at 5.00pm, and was followed at 7.00pm by the haunting theme tune to "Sing Something Simple", which my Dad liked and I absolutely hated because it reminded me that it was school the day after.

The Old Record Club did play old charts, whilst Pick Of The Pops in its day was the equivalent of 'The Top 40'

Yes, I'd forgotten that the format of Fluff's orginal show was effectively the week's Chart Run-Down. I also remember that the new chart was revealed on Tuesday lunchtime on Radio One (I used to come home from school to listen to it as school was just over the back fence), and it's that upon which Thursday's TOTP on TV was based (TOTP being recorded at TVC on Wednesday evenings for many years).

The Old Record Club did play old charts, whilst Pick Of The Pops in its day was the equivalent of 'The Top 40'.

In essence Pick Of The Pops is now what Jimmy's show was without the presentation of points!

Thanks Kengeo thought I was losing my marbles (again) couldn't find anything online _________________You will hear gospel and rhythm and blues and jazz, all those are just labels, we know that music is music.

Me too. I think he's definitely had his day. For a while we used to listen to the breakfast show he did on Classic Gold (or whatever it was) out of the old Chiltern Radio studios in Dunstable and it was just excruciating listing to him presenting a show he clearly didn't like doing with a team who weren't up to it. Like Wrighty, he used FX to give it a "zoo" feel and it was awful.

We continued to listen to it on our bedside alarm-clock radio because neither of us could be bothered to find another station at the time.

Things must be even worse now - the radio gets switched off altogether after the 7.00am news bulletin on Radio 2!

Last edited by ColinB on Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

According to our friends at Radio Rewind, Alan Freeman presented Pick of the Pops, on the Light Programme, subsequently Radio 1 and being the current Top 20 then 40, from January 1962 until September 1972. Tom Browne then presented the show, renamed "Solid Gold Sixty", until March 1978. When Freeman went to Capital Radio in 1979 he revived Pick of the Pops, Take Two for his Saturday morning show.

Jimmy Saville started the oldies chart shows, with The Double Top Ten Show on Radio 1 Sunday afternoons from October 1973 until sometime in 1987 - it was renamed The Old Record Club from 1978.

Freeman returned to Radio 1 in January 1989 and presented Pick of the Pops in the oldies chart format until December 1992, and then on Radio 2 from April 1997 until April 2000, which is when Dale Winton took over.

(Saville's Travels, where he travelled up and down the country with a tape recorder chatting to people and playing records - an updated Down Your Way if you like - ran from June 1968 until the Double Top Ten Show in October 1973)

Tony Blackburn used to host the chart show or something like that back in the 80s, on a Sunday I believe, and I think he did it really well too.. he just has a quirky way of announcing tracks that I find endearing.
He made the whole show very entertaining and wasn't worried about letting us know which tracks he liked!
I remember him possibly taking offence to "Video Killed the Radio Star" as at the end he said something like " well, he wouldn't have got far without us would he?" followed by his usual laugh...
I have several of his chart shows on cassette somewhere..._________________Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! 13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

I'll be sorry when Dale goes, he's knowledgeable and informative. I've yet to make my mind up about Blackburn. He tends to talk over songs he doesn't like and make snide comments.
However he's been a professional for 46 years so knows his stuff.

I hope he'll get a show on 2 soon and also, let's have PotPs back on a Sunday where it belongs!_________________Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! 13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be.

Of course we always assumme that these days every broadcaster wants to be tied to a daily radio show all the year around. Many of today's presenters are doing what Chris Evans tried to do and got into trouble over...taking lots of holidays and/or working a four day week.

I think many like doing a series and having time off for other projects or doing a show that can be voice tracked like POTP...where probably quite a few can be recorded in one session.

I also made the following point on Digital Spy...

Once you record a certain amount of these programmes and you stick to the strict format of a chart from a certain year sooner or later you have heard it all before. Even because in the early days of the charts used records stayed in the charts for weeks/months and they did not move much.

It could be different if perhaps(but this changes the format/idea that is POTP)maybe you played more than the Top 20...possibly played other popular records that did not get into the chart and also played(especially when a 60's chart is featured)and songs were short more of them

And instead of sometimes rushing or ommitting tunes play them in full.

Again there has to be a quota of independently produced programmes but the BBC could have a presenter in the studio, a handful of cd's/tunes on the computer, what is Unique adding to it?